07:30 AM
Saturday 09 April 2022
Written by – Hind Khalifa
High blood pressure is a common condition, and you often don’t have any symptoms. However, your big toe may show warning signs of high blood pressure, according to express.
High blood pressure affects millions of people, but the concern is still referred to as a “silent killer” due to its lack of symptoms. When warning signs appear, they can easily be missed or confused with something else.
Although you might not expect it, your toes may show alarming signs of high blood pressure, and gout is a form of arthritis that manifests with sudden, painful attacks.
Although this condition occurs for a number of reasons, the NHS says that high blood pressure can be one of the diseases that increase your risk of gout.
Harvard Medical School has described high blood pressure as a “major risk factor” for gout, however, even those treated for high blood pressure can also still be at risk of painful flare-ups.
“Diuretics taken to lower high blood pressure increase uric acid levels, so treatment as well as disease are associated with gout,” explains Havard.
-What is gout?
According to the NHS, gout attacks are felt as sudden, burning pain in the joints. The pain can affect the feet, hands, wrists, elbows or knees, but most commonly affects the big toe joint.
The skin around the affected area can also become hot, swollen, and red. This type of arthritis is caused by a condition known as hyperuricemia, in which there is too much uric acid in the body.
Uric acid is formed when the body breaks down purines, which can be found in some foods, and uric acid crystals can build up in joints, fluids, and tissues within the body.
This is what causes painful gout symptoms, but it’s important to note that uric acid doesn’t always lead to gout. Instead, you may be more likely to develop gout if you have certain lifestyle habits or have underlying health conditions.
What increases your chances of developing gout?
A number of lifestyle and health factors can contribute to the risk of developing gout and these include:
Being overweight or obese.
Eat a diet rich in purines. Foods rich in purines include some red meat, organ meats, and some types of seafood.
Eat a high-fructose diet.
Drink a lot of alcohol.
Having certain health conditions such as high blood pressure, insulin resistance, diabetes, impaired kidney function or metabolic syndrome.
How can you tell if your gout is linked to high blood pressure?
The best thing to do if you are concerned that you have gout or high blood pressure is to see your GP, who can then perform a number of tests to find out if you have gout and determine the possible cause.
Your doctor can measure your blood pressure to check if it’s a healthy level. Regular blood pressure checks are vital because high blood pressure often has no immediate or noticeable symptoms.